Firstly, applicant wishes to incorporate by reference disclosure documents number 200,011 and number 228,022 which were filed on Aug. 26, 1988 and May 25, 1989, respectively, and a disclosure document entitled "A NEW MARINE VESSEL CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL WITH INTEGRAL NON-POLLUTING ANTI-FOULANT" which was filed on Apr. 1, 1987 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
This patent application discloses inventions which constitute improvements over an invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,344 to Andoe dated Sept. 20, 1988; the Andoe patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
Applicant's prior patent discloses a method of installing a copper material on the hull of a vessel such that no contact is permitted between the copper material and any and all dissimilar metals. Also disclosed therein is a new passive or active cathodic protection system which reduces the corrosion of the copper material that has been attached to the vessel. In conjunction with the attaching of the copper material to a hull of a vessel, a dielectric barrier is disclosed having dielectric characteristics that reduce the galvanic corrosion effects, the dielectric barrier being interposed between the copper material and dissimilar metals.
The prior patent also discloses uses of the improved dielectric barrier in areas of overlap as well as pretreatments of areas to be overlapped to enhance bonding between materials. The prior patent discloses, as advantages of the inventive method, extended vessel life by installing the improved copper material to a hull of a vessel, reduced hull damage and corrosion, improved bonding of the copper material onto a hull and improved economics regarding the installation method per se. The following areas of the aforementioned issued patent have been found to necessitate further research to find improved ways of installing the copper foil material and protecting the hull of a vessel:
(a) Bonding between the hull and the copper material as well as at overlap joints in certain commercial, marine vessel and pleasure boat applications has been difficult to achieve and maintain.
(b) Impacts to the hulls of vessels, especially in the keel areas have caused damage to the copper foil material that has been installed on a hull.
(c) A more economical and quicker installation process is needed to further reduce wasted copper materials as well as installation time.
(d) Adjacent strips of the copper material have differing electrical potentials thereby increasing galvanic corrosion effects.
(e) Seams of the adjacent strips also have a high incidence of repair due to impact damage.